Electric advertising device.



UNITED STATES iatented October 27, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE l/V. ENRIGHT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE NORDEN- BITTNER ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC ADVERTISING DEVICE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,407, dated October 27, 1903.

Application filed March 4,1902. Renewed August 25,1903. Serial No. 170,730. (No model.)

citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, in the county of New York 5 and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Advertising Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of signs in which the characters or letters are delineated in electric lights, usually of the'incandescent type, and relates more particularly to a sign in which the characters or letters can be readily and quickly changed without I disturbing the Wiring, while the visible surface presented is only broken by the lights which are designed to delineate the desired character or letter.

The object of my invention is to construct an electric-light sign in which the wiring and supply-points remain permanently fixed and in which the letter or visible surface is interchangeable and of simple and inexpensive construction.

A further object of my invention is to present a permanent arrangement of wiring which will suffice for each of the changeable characters and be at the same time the most efficient, simple, and inexpensive construc- 0 tion hitherto presented.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention embodied in a sign designed for six changeable characters.

Figure 1 represents a complete sign showing the word Boston in incandescent lights. Fig. 2 is afront view of the permanent portion of a single character or letter box or section with the character or pattern plate omitted. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of same; Fig.

c 4, a front view with the perforated patternplate with the letter B and the lamps in position, and Fig. 5 a vertical cross-section through Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, I provide a shallow box A for each character or element of the sign. Upon the back or base B of the box A, I fix parallel rows of lamp-sockets 2, permanently wired to conductors 3, passing out through the base B. The preferable 5o arrangement of the lamp-sockets 2 I have shown in Fig. 2, it being three rows of five,

sockets each interlined with two rows of nine sockets each, the consecutive odd numbers of the nine-socket rows being each in alinement with the consecutive sockets of the fivesocket rows. The several rows of sockets are positioned a distance apart equal to the distance between the sockets in the five-socket rows, forming a square figure. This arrangement of sockets producesa monogram from which each of the letters of the alphabet may be singly selected out and it is believed presents the simplest and-most pleasing and economical form of electric-letter monogram yet devised. The selection of five letters of the alphabet from this monogram is shown in Fig. 1 and'illustrates the manner in which the characters are delineated. I preferably connect the sockets of each row in series and next connect each separate bank with the mains without the box, inserting the proper cut-outs, &c. Slideways 4 are formed in the Walls of the box adjacent the front thereof and parallel to the back or base B. I provide fiat pattern-plates 5, provided with circular perforations 6, adapted to fit the lamp, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The pattern-plate .5 slides into the slideways 4, and the perforations 6 are arranged in the plate so as to exactly register with the sockets 2 required to form the desired character or letter. Lamps are then inserted through the perforations and screwed into the sockets registering therewith, and a surface is presented only broken by the delineation of the letter in the lamps.

The letterplates 5 may be made very cheaply of any sheet material-such as wood, pasteboard, or preferably sheet metal--and when not in use, as is the case with the majority of plates used in connection with any particular sign, maybe packed and stored in a space of very small compass.

The advantages of construction of this kind are readily seen, as a great number of letters each carrying a large number of sockets consu me a great amount of storage-space, are very clumsy to handle and change because of their bulk, and above all have to be connected with the mains whenever a letter is changed.

The thin sheets 5 employed in my construction may have the complete letter painted or otherwise demarked upon its surface in white or other color adapted to diffuse the light on a dark groundfor instance, as shown in section '7 of Fig. 1, showing the letter S.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the details of and equivalent elements substituted in the embodiment of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In an electric sign, the combination of a monogram of terminals, a plurality of substitutable pattern-plates each perforated with one character of said monogram, and lamps attachable to said terminals through the perforations of saidplates.

2. In an electric sign, the combination of a monogram of lamp-sockets, a plurality of substitutable pattern-plates each perforated with one character of said monogram, and lamps attachable to said sockets through the perforations of said plates.

3. In an electric sign, the combination of a series of disconnectible sections each comprising a monogram of lamp-sockets, a plurality of substitutable pattern-plates each perforated with one character of said monogram, and lamps attachable to said sockets through the perforations of said plates.

4. In an electric sign, the combination of a monogram of lamp-sockets, a plurality of substitutable pattern-plates fixable before said monogram and each perforated with one character of said monogram, the perforations of the fixed plates being in registry with the corresponding sockets of the corresponding character in the monogram, and lamps attachable to said sockets through said perfo rations and protruding beyond said plate when attached.

5. In an electric sign, the combination of a monogram of terminals, a plurality of substitutable pattern-plates each perforated with one character of said monogram, the face of said characters completed about said perforations in light-diffusing surfaces upon said plates, and lamps attachable to said terminals through the perforations of said plates and protruding Without said perforations in advance of said diffusing-surface when attached.

6. In an electric sign, the combination of a box, a monogram of lamp-sockets permanently fixed upon the inner face of the back of said box, permanent electrical connection between said sockets and mains leading without said box, a plurality of substitutable pattern-plates fixable upon said box to constitute a front therefor, each perforated with one character of said monogram, the perforations of the fixed plates being in registry with the corresponding sockets of the corresponding character in the monogram, and lamps attachable to said sockets through said perforations and protruding beyond saidplate when attached.

7. In an .electric sign, the combination of a box, a monogram of lamp-sockets permanently fixed upon the inner face of the back of said box, a plurality of substitutable patternplates slidably afiixable to said box to constitute a front therefor, each perforated with one character of said monogram, and lamps attachable to said monogram through the perforations of said plates.

8. In an electric sign, the combination of a monogram of terminals comprising three rows of five terminals alternating with two rows of nine terminals, a plurality of substitutable pattern-plates each perforated with one character of said monogram, and lamps attachable to said terminals through the perforations of said plates.

9. The combination with a foundation and a monogram of lamp-sockets secured to the surface thereof, of a removable perforated plate adapted to. be connected thereto .and which plate indicates the letter or numeral to be represented and through which the electric lamps pass to connection with the sockets, substantially as set forth.

l0. Thecombination withafoundation,and a monogram of lamp-sockets secured thereto, of a removable plate having therein a series of perforations alining with predetermined sockets and representinga given letter or numeral and through which perforations the lamps pass to connection with the sockets beneath, the surface of said plate being painted with contrasting colors so that the letter or numeral indicated by the perforations is outlined by a color contrasting with the remaining surface of the plate, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination withafoundation having edge flanges and a monogram of lampsockets upon said foundation, of a removable perforated plate adapted to slide in grooves formed in the inner surfaces of said edge flanges and'interchangeable with other similar plates, the said plate being so prepared as to indicate in the day-time the letter or numeral carried thereby and indicated by the electric lamps at night, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination with a series of alined foundations with groups or monograms of lamp-sockets arranged on their outer faces, of series of removable interchangeable perforated plates, and means for connecting the same to said foundations, said plates being prepared so as to indicate in the day-time the letters or numerals which are indicated at night by the electric lamps which pass through their perforations to connection with the sockets upon the foundation, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE W. ENRIGI-IT. Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, JOHN O. SEIFERT. 

